New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart committed the most unforgivable sin in professional sports on Friday — he stood on a stage with the President of the United States and said nice things about America. The rookie QB appeared at a Trump rally at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York, introduced the President to a roaring crowd, and now half the NFL commentariat is acting like he drowned a puppy on live television.
How dare a professional athlete support a sitting president! Somebody call the commissioners!
Dart took the stage to "Eye of the Tiger," greeted the crowd with "Big Blue nation, it's a pleasure to be here," and called the appearance an "honor." He wrapped up with a simple "Go Big Blue." That's it. That's the whole crime. He didn't burn a flag. He didn't kneel during the anthem. He didn't punch anybody in a nightclub. He introduced the President at a rally promoting tax cuts.
But the response from inside his own locker room was instantaneous and ugly. Giants linebacker Abdul Carter — a teammate, mind you — hopped on social media and posted, "Thought this s* was AI, what we doing man." Real classy, Abdul. Nothing says team unity like publicly trashing your quarterback because he had the audacity to have political opinions you don't share.
Then came the retired guys, because of course they did. Former Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes, who apparently has strong feelings about locker room sanctity but only when it's convenient, posted: "The locker room is a sacred place because it brings together everyone from all walks of life and beliefs for one common goal. Calling a teammate out publicly for his political views and to get attention is nasty work." At least Tynes had the decency to defend Dart's right to his own politics, even if he couldn't resist making it about himself.
Former Giants offensive tackle Jumbo Elliott went full resistance Twitter, ranting: "Was it the setting up of an insurrection against America? The Epstein relationship & coverup? Maybe just being so damn corrupt is what cinched it for him. SMH. Pitiful." Jumbo, buddy, you played offensive line in the 1990s. Nobody asked.
President Trump, for his part, called Dart "a future Hall of Famer in my book" and complimented the quarterback's athleticism, saying his legs looked like "tree trunks." And look, the kid's stats back up the hype — 2,272 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, just 5 interceptions, a 63.7% completion rate, plus 487 rushing yards and 9 rushing touchdowns. The man can play.
But none of that matters to the tolerance police. In the NFL, you can beat your girlfriend and get a second chance. You can get arrested for DUI and the league will help you find a counselor. You can kneel during the national anthem and Nike will build you an entire ad campaign. But stand next to a Republican president? That's where we draw the line, apparently.
This is the same league that celebrated players "using their platform" for years — as long as that platform leaned exactly one direction. The second a player uses his platform to support something the establishment doesn't like, suddenly it's a betrayal of "the locker room" and "the team."
We see you, NFL. We've always seen you.
Jaxson Dart introduced the President, said "Go Big Blue," and went home. His teammates melted down on social media like teenage girls who just got unfollowed. If that doesn't tell you everything about the state of professional sports in America, nothing will, as reported by Newsmax.
